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'Tis now two months or more,
Since a boat left the shore,
Mann'd by a skipper and his men.
It sail'd at night away,
A storm came on next day,
And breaking hearts long
For the boat's return since then.
The skipper's wife goes down
Ev'ry day from the town,
To watch for tidings on the shore;
She strains her aching eyes,
And through her descries,
The phantom of a form
That will come back no more.
The child she lulls to rest
Lulls to rest on her breast,
Asks, when will father come again?
She dares not give reply,
But with a heavy sigh,
And sighing still hopes on,
Although all hope is in vain.
Croeso
I Gymru…Welcome to Wales
Wales
is an ancient land, the origins of its people and language go back
civilizations--some believe even before the pyramids were built in Egypt 1500
years ago. The Welsh language has been in daily use for centuries; it is the
oldest known language and although it is widely spoken and used, everyone speaks
English.
Day
7
Friday, September 7, 2001 (continued)
We
arrived at Holyhead, Wales and disembarked from the Dublin Swift.
Hollyhead, Wales seaport
Wales road map. We were on the northern portion of Wales.
South
Stack Lighthouse was build in 1809 at Holyhead
We obtained another rental car at the terminal and headed east on A55. Not far from Holyhead I noticed on the map was the town of
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch,
or
Llanfair PG for short, which boasts the longest place name in the UK. Not
sure of our next destination, we started exploring the northern coastline of
Wales.
North Wales is rich in attractions of all kinds, traditional and modern. But perhaps its most celebrated ones are rooted in this area's troubled medieval past. Wales' reputation as a 'land of castles' is particularly strong in the north. The mountain-backed shore from Llandudno to Caernarfon boasts some of the finest historic sites in Britain - Conwy with its 13th-century fortress and town walls, Bangor's overpowering Penrhyn Castle (built in the 19th century but taking its inspiration from Norman times), and Caernarfon Castle, the best known of Wales' many medieval fortresses.
Castles
in northern Wales
1.
Flint Castle.
2.
Denbigh Castle and Walls.
3.
Rhuddlan Castle.
4.
Conwy
Castle and Town Walls.
5.
Beaumaris Castle.
6.
Dolwyddelan Castle.
7.
Dolbadarn Castle.
8.
Caernarfon Castle.
9.
Harlech Castle.
10.
Criccieth Castle.
11. Cilgerran Castle
We came
upon the medieval walled city of Conwy and decided to make that our next
stop for the next couple of days. Conwy
is a perfect base from which to explore the Welsh countryside.
We checked
the local Visitor Center and selected to stay at the Castle Hotel,
located in the center of the walled town.
The
Castle Hotel, an old coaching inn, stands on the site of a Cistercian Abbey and
consists of two buildings, the older part, The King's Head, dates back to the
15th Century. The larger part, built in more recent times, has an attractive and
interesting front facade of local granite and Ruabon brick.
Castle Hotel, Conwy, Wales
Our
hotel room was on the 2nd floor room in the center of the photo.
This celebrated local landmark has made an important contribution to the history
of the town, playing host to many famous personages, such as Telford,
Stephenson, Wordsworth and the Queen of Romania, who had lunch here while on
holiday in Llandudno.
The
interior of the hotel has many interesting features. John Dawson-Watson, a
distinguished Victorian artist and illustrator, spent his last days in Conwy,
and in the 1890's was commissioned to paint a variety of canvasses and panels.
Most of these depict scenes from Shakespearean plays and, principally, adorn the
walls of the restaurant.
The
lounge displays earlier examples of his sketches, and the entrance hall shows
the "unfinished painting", a preliminary water color sketch of his
famous oil painting entitled "The Yeoman's Wedding". Buckley Ousey,
another important artist of this period, has contributed painted door panels,
mainly of local scenes.
The
hotel's Shakespeare Restaurant offers locally caught fresh fish and we dined on
fine Welsh lamb every night. The
Castle bar, serving "real ale", is a favorite meeting place for locals
and visitors alike.
History
of the Castle Hotel
The
Castle Hotel stands on the site of part of the Cistercian Abbey which was given
its charter by Llywelyn the Great on January 7th 1198. Conwy was a lonely place
then as the Cistertians built their abbeys "far from the haunts of
men".
After
the conquest of Wales, Edward I persuaded the monks to move to the peace and
quiet of the Conwy Valley and granted them the township of Maenan, about 12
miles up river, with several other parcels of land in lieu of land they had
surrendered to Edward in Conwy. Their conventual church has survived the rigors
of the elements of the last 700 years and gives testament to the building skills
of those long departed monks.
When
improvements were being made to the Castle Hotel in 1832, a tombstone with a
plain carved cross was found in the yard, containing only a skull. In 1870 a
stone front was discovered at the back of a house just below the Hotel. Some
skeletons have been dug up in the yard over the years, victims of the plague
which reached Conwy three weeks after it broke out in London. Conwy was on the
main London to Holyhead stage coach route so presumably the plague was brought
to the town by a traveler. Adjoining the Castle Hotel was the King's Head, (now
part of the present hotel) which dates back to the 15th century - it is situated
on the other side of the archway. The old abbey buildings in the yard were let
out as tenements.
The
next building to the hotel going up to the High Street was yet another watering
hole - The Harp Inn (see the photograph in the bar circa 1890). This was
demolished in the 1930's to make way for shops. Opposite The Harp was The Crown,
a little further up stood the Red Lion and then The Ship. At the turn of the
century there were 48 drinking establishments within the walls of the town when
Conwy was a flourishing port.
It was
in the Gentlemen's bar of the Castle Hotel that a conversation took place in the
early 1890's which led to Conwy having one of the country's famous tourist
attraction. Some cottages on the quay were to be condemned; the local newspapers
editor suggested that the smallest of them could well be the smallest house in
Britain. So the owner of this little dwelling, Mr. Robert Jones, saw its
potential and toured the country measuring all the small houses. This was how
the idea of the smallest house in Great Britain was conceived. There are old
photographs in the bar showing the condemned cottages.
Another
significant occasion in the history of the hotel was on 17th May 1884. A public
dinner was given by the gentry of Conwy to Mr. Robert Stephenson to celebrate
the successful erection of the Tubular Railway Bridge. This dinner was held in a
temporary pavilion at the back of the hotel. The tent was 70ft long and 24ft
wide and at each end of the pavilion were the gigantic initials R.S. in a blaze
of variegated lamps and the whole pavilion was festooned with flowers and
evergreen. The interior was lined with crimson and white drapes and formed a
splendid setting for the celebration. One hundred and thirty tickets were sold
at one guinea each, the guests included Robert Stephenson's brother George.
Other
famous visitors to the hotel include Samuel Johnson, Wordsworth and Charlotte
Bronte spent their honeymoons here. While the Queen of Roumania was convalescing
in Llandudno in 1890 she was entertained to lunch here. See photograph in bar of
the locals awaiting her arrival outside the hotel.
Day
8
Saturday, September 8, 2001
Mark, Mary and I for a brisk morning walk at low tide before breakfast – Conwy
After
a vigorous walk around the walled city and over the bridge, we enjoyed a nice
breakfast and began exploring the city and the surrounding area. Later that
morning Mark and I drove to the nearby town of Colwyn Bay and dropped off some
laundry and dry cleaning. The afternoon was spent exploring some seaside downs
down the road.
Sandy, high winds and breakers hitting the sea wall– Colwyn Bay
Photo from the back of the clubhouse on the 18th hole on a local golf
course we stopped by to check out. Note the castle
A bit of history of the Conwy Castle
Located
4 miles South of Llandudno, on A55,
Conwy Castle was part of network of castles built by Edward I and was
started in 1283, completed in 1287. From the 14th century the castle slowly
deteriorated. During the Civil War, John Williams, Archbishop of York,
repaired the castle but in 1646 it was taken by the Parliamentarians under
Major-General Mytton. After the Restoration a demolition contractor
shipped all movables to Ireland. Today the castle is a ruin, now under the care
of the government. In 1294 a Welsh rebellion led by Prince Madog damaged a
number of Edward I's castles. Edward marched to Wales to suppress the
rebellion and set up his headquarters at Conwy. Soon after he was inside
the castle the river flooded and he was trapped with his men for several days.
Supplies of food and water became dangerously low before the water receded.
In 1399 when Richard II visited Conwy he received Henry Percy's promise of save
conduct to meet Bolingbroke. However, Richard was ambushed on the
road, imprisoned and died within the year.
From this period the castle slowly deteriorated. During the Civil War John Williams, Archbishop of York, an ardent Royalist repaired the castle but in 1646 it was taken with little difficulty by the Parliamentarians under Major-General Mytton. After the Restoration a demolition contractor working for the 3rd Earl of Conwy shipped all moveable to Ireland. Thus the castle became the ruin seen today. In the later part of the 20th century the castle came under the care of the government who carried out much useful restoration.
Conwy Castle
Designated a World Heritage Site
, the castle was build by King Edward * back in 1283 and completed in 4 ½
years. Fine views over
the harbor and Snowdonia form the backdrop to this medieval walled town.
Although the bridge leading to the Castle gives the impression of a drawbridge,
it only dates from 1826, designed by Thomas Telford.
The massive fifteen-foot thick walls guarded by
twenty two towers stretch for three-quarters of a mile around the town, making
Conwy one of the finest walled towns of the medieval period.
Auto
bridge at Conwy
Conwy suspension bridge
Conwy suspension bridge
In earlier years Conwy's Harbor was a busy
port, which shipped slate brought by rail from Blaenau Ffestiniog around the
world. The fishing fleet was a major contributor to Conwy's economy, so Conwy Harbor
was a thriving place. Mussel gathering in the Conwy River Estuary was the
largest industry in the town and brought extra rewards when pearls were found.
The Northern Fronts towards the river estuary.
Welcome to Conwy,
North Wales, UK
www.conwy-wales.com/
A
Walking Tour Around the Historic Walls of Conwy
Chris Sweeney
There
are three places to join the walk on the walls around the town. I have started
at the arch over Uppergate Street. Though the walk is not strenuous, the steps
are quite steep, in parts. Having climbed the tower, bear right and walk up to
the highest point on the walls.
The view from here, across Conwy town, towards the castle is shown above. The estuary of the River Conwy can be seen, as can the "Cob" - the man-made spur of land prior to the bridges.
Walking downhill now, you can see one of the best-preserved stretches of wall, leading down to the sea. I think I heard somewhere that Conwy Walls are the most intact walls in Europe.
From
the turrets, looking left, you can see Conwy Mountain.
View from above the arch over Berry Street, which becomes Castle Street at the central junction - the Castle is visible in the distance
Walking
a little further down the wall, there is a panoramic view across the Conwy
Estuary. The village of Deganwy is situated to the left, and Llandudno
Junction centrally. The castle can be seen (just about!) on the right of
the picture.
You
cannot walk much further along the walls here, unless you want to get your feet
wet! Double
back and drop down into the town of Conwy and continue the wall walk from the
opposite side of town at the car park near the Visitor Center.
View
across town to the highpoint where I started the tour (top center). The dark
building in the center is the Visitor Center.
Coming to the end of the wall walk, by the castle itself.
Welcome to Conwy, North Wales,
UK
www.conwy-wales.com/
Walking
the town of Conwy
Chris Sweeney
I
started the tour crossing the bridge over the Conwy Estuary. Conwy is a medieval
walled town, the Castle being built by Master James of St. George, between 1283
and 1287. The crossing of the river Conwy was a problem over many centuries,
with a variety of measures being taken to solve it. In the photo, above, you can
see three solutions, from the right: the road bridge, Telford's suspension
bridge and a modern rail bridge (the castellated pillar on the left supports a
box tunnel).
With
the castle on the left, entering the walled town, you see The Guildhall.
The Tourist Information Center is to the left of this picture, as is the
entrance to the Castle itself. Having crossed the road bridge, you can take a
closer view of Telford's suspension bridge (above).
Continuing
our walk, with the Guildhall on our left, we enter Rosehill Street, past the
Vicarage car park and the drop-off point for coaches. Following the road round,
past the Visitor Center, where you can see a film about Conwy's history and get
more information about the town. Continuing, we pass the railway station
(above). The station is on the main Holyhead line, so trains are fairly
frequent..
Lancaster Square
Statue of Llewellyn the Great
In the
background of the photograph above is the police station, whereas the foreground
shows a statue of Llewellyn the Great. Alderman Albert Ward of Bodlondeb
presented the statue to the town
From
Lancaster Square I continued down Rosehill St (on the left of the photo above)
through the arch and onto Bangor Road .
I
am now outside the town walls.
Walking
downhill along Town Ditch Road (turning left in the photo above) I re-enter the
walled town into Berry Street. This becomes Castle Street at the junction shown
above.
At
the first stop light is the Aberconwy House, now run by the National
Trust. This house dates from the 15th Century, perhaps as early as
1400. Aberconwy
House is the oldest house in Conwy.
Turning
left before the traffic lights takes us down to the quay.
Conwy was once a thriving port, but now the quay houses few fishing
boats. Most of the bay has personal
sailboats moored there.
Overlooking
the marina can be found Britain's smallest house.
The house is the red portion of the building in the photograph, not
including the white part which is the next-door property! For, in a town packed
with ancient buildings, this house on the quayside, reputed the smallest in
Great Britain, is only 72 inches wide and 122 inches high, and was occupied
until May, 1900, as mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records.
Britain's
smallest house
View of the Marina
Looking back towards the castle from
the marina.
Street view of our hotel-Castle Hotel, Conwy
St. Mary’s Church - Conwy
There are several points of access to St Mary's Church, which dates from 1186. It was directly behind the Castle Hotel. St. Mary's Church, once part of a Cistercian Abbey and mausoleum of Welsh Princes, is notable for its beautifully carved rood screen and monks stalls in the choir. The tomb of Nicholas Hakes in the chancel, proclaims him to be the 41st child of his father and father of 27 children. William Wordsworth much intrigued by the tomb's inscription was inspired to write the poem "We are Seven".
Back down the High Street and continuing to the end of Castle Street, the castle dominates the view.
We found a nice antique shop on High Street. Mark and Mary purchased a very nice old clock and had it shipped back to Arizona. I purchased a few sterling silver “match safes” from the late 1800’s to add to my collection.
That evening we recapped the day’s events at the hotel’s tavern and later dined on fine Welsh lamb at the Castle Hotel’s restaurant that evening.
Day
9
Sunday, September 9, 2001
We
checked out of the Castle Hotel after breakfast and headed south on A5 to
Betws-y-Coed.
Betws-y-Coed
is the principal village of the Snowdonia National Park.
The Snowdonia National Park in North Wales covers more than 800 square miles, it
is a region of haunting beauty and grandeur, of wild rocky mountains, hidden
valleys, cascading rivers, still glacial lakes and deep forests. North Wales is
an old country; geologically old, with some of the most ancient rocks in the
world; old in its economy, based still on the immemorial pastoral or
sheep-rearing way of life; old in culture, with traditions in poetry and music
that may date back to the Bronze Age; and old in language, for the Welsh you
will hear spoken everywhere in the mountain villages is Europe's oldest living
language. No wonder the deep valleys seem still to hold the echo of the myths,
legends and bardic traditions of the past. The relics of the past lie
undisturbed still in the hills the Neolithic stone circles, the Bronze Age
chambers, the fortifications of the Celtic Iron Age, the Roman fort, and the
monuments of the great Welsh princes. Compared to southern Britain, Snowdonia is
truly wild.
The Snowdonia National Park consists largely of
blocks of undisturbed mountain and moorland divided from each other by deep
valleys along which most of the main roads have been made. A few beautiful
villages such as Betws-y-Coed and Beddgelert are the only claims that man has
placed on this truly magnificent landscape. The highest peak, which is also the
highest point in England and Wales, is Snowdon (3,560 feet).
Pont y Pair, Betws-y-coed
Pont-y-Pair (the bridge of the cauldron), built in 1468. A number of sign-posted walks in the surrounding countryside start near this bridge.
We then continued on to Corwin and Llangollen.
Llangollen
Two hundred years ago it consisted mainly of a green and a street joined by one of the "Seven Wonders of Wales", a four arched bridge, built in the 16th century on parts of a 13th century one.
Llangollen is clustered around the River Dee, nestled in the Vale of Llangollen, and surrounded by hills is as scenic as it gets.
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